The Making of: Shake It Out

The first time I heard the song “Shake it Out” by Florence + the Machine, the story for my film instantly flooded into my head. Now I know that might sound a little funny or unrealistic, but it was true!

I had known for a few weeks that I wanted to do a narrative music video, so when I heard the song and got the inspiration for the script, I was ready. I started by writing out onto a piece of paper everything I had just seen in my head. When I need to lay the foundation for a project, I like to use pen and paper because I feel typing distracts me initially and slows me down because of the formality. Once I get all my thoughts onto paper, then I start typing and move on to details and development.

For “Shake it Out,” the script went through a few drafts as my co-writers helped me strengthen and develop the characters. Though changes were made here and there, the story and theme remained the same.

Once the story was completed and finalized, I then came up with a shot list. Normally I story board each shot with sketches, but because this was a music video, I decided to verbally describe each shot. Music videos can be tricky because you have a set amount of time to tell your story. Your story can’t be shorter or longer than the song, it all has to fit in the length of the song. Granted, you can cut audio out to shorten the music, but I thought the song was perfect and the lyrics were powerful. I did not want to alter the integrity in any way of the song. So I listened to the song in 10 second intervals. I would play it, then pause, and write down the way the film would be shot and edited to the time code of the song. The edit of your film will be strong if you “shoot to edit.” This method of shot listing isn’t the only way that works, but it helped me fit my story perfectly inside the song and made the edit very cohesive.

The producing for the film involved a lot of phone calls. I was working with an extremely low budget, so I spent time calling people and asking favors. When it came to the actors, I first started with Jenn Lucas. She had acted for me before and fit the role of the Run-Away. I knew she would be perfect and she is a very talented actress. Joe Newcombe had actually approached me before the project asking if I could consider him for any roles on future projects. Joe was handsome and looked clean, which is what I had imagined the messenger to look like. The messenger was supposed to be somewhat of a divine and symbolic character, much like an angle who wouldn’t have many flaws or harsh features; however, he still needed to fit in as an average person. Robin LaConde was a good friend of mine and she had a lot of experience in front of the camera. Emily Fennell, the daughter to Robin’s character, was also a family friend who matched the characteristics of Robin. When I asked her to be in the film, she was very excited and determined to do a good job. I still needed to cast the other vignette (business man), but I was a bit stumped searching for someone who could fit. Jenn had told me about a friend of hers who she thought might work for the part. He was studying film and had some experience in front of the camera. I actually looked him up on Facebook and went through his photos. He was exactly what I was looking for. His long hair and tattoos would give him the look of a conforming man trying to grow up in the real world. I called Dillon, told him what I was doing, and he was interested and agreed to take the part. I didn’t actually meet him until the day of the shoot, but he was great and fun to work with.

When it came to directing the actors, I used different techniques for each of them as they all respond differently. Because there was no dialogue in the film, I decided to only let the actors know what kind of characters they were playing, along with their back stories. I directed the actors by giving them their present scenarios. I held their resolutions and most details from them because I didn’t want them to react any different way as someone would act in real life. In reality, people are uncertain of their futures and that’s what I was trying to preserve with my actors.

Working with my DP Mark Estefanos was an easy task because we work together very well. Mark was always able to execute my vision and his camera work was very clean. He had already reviewed my shot list and before each day of shooting, we would meet and discuss the shots. His sense of a shot’s composition is very keen and he is always able to achieve a cinematic look.

I didn’t run into many problems when it came to the editing. Because of my shot list, I basically had a template for the sequencing. Editing has always been one of my strongest areas and I think it’s because I'm able to visualize the final product and also maintain organization. Once I have the footage, I just have to put it into place to match what I see in my head. Editing to music also gave me an advantage because I was able to use the rhythm of the song to guide the cuts and pacing. The sequencing would not have been as easy if it were not for all of the pre-production of the shots.

The coloring was done by myself and Mark. I knew I wanted to achieve a de-saturated and cold look to help convey the theme of isolation revolving around the characters. At the same, I wanted to contrast the sadness with bright vivid images when the story began to shift to a more positive tone. We used the same color pallet on each shot and altered it to fit each piece of footage. This ensured a look that remained cohesive though out the edit. Coloring film is a great way to help support your stories as they subconsciously change the way the audience will interpret the scene.

Finally the production came down to the last step, graphics. The graphics were by far the most complicated part of the production. I wanted to use the graphics as a tool to tell the story in ways which could not otherwise be possible. At the same time I didn’t want them to distract from the actual integrity of the film. That’s why they had to look unmistakably real. If the audience noticed them as “fake,” they would become more of a gimmick which is exactly what I was trying to avoid. I knew from the beginning of the film precisely what had to be done graphically. I came to my graphics partner Mark Estefanos to discuss what we were going to have to accomplish. At first I played down the size of the task because I knew that both of us had not had extensive experience with 3D graphics. But once we finished shooting, we delved right in and didn’t stop until we reached our final goal. It was a long and grueling process of trial and error but we eventually reached our goal. There is no way we could have achieved what we did without the constant push that we gave each other.

When the film was finally done, I felt such a sense of relief. The whole process took a total of nine months and at many points along the way, it felt like a final product would never arise. But when it was completed, it was great to share it with the cast and crew who had put so much time and hard work into the film, and also with the many people who helped me pull it off.

Dillon Chang:

Working with Brian on this film was a truly humbling experience for me. He told me the song we were bringing to life but I had never heard it before and I never looked it up before shooting. But his story intrigued me - especially since he only had given me details about my character and not about the whole film. Personally, I'm attracted to stories with characters that are psychologically destroyed because it's the most real a human can be and it differs us from everything else on this planet. When Brian told me about my character I was able to fit right into it. I was able to get into the characters thoughts of just total despair after trying all you can and still not being good enough. I was skeptical about being casted for the film because I was the opposite of my image of actors. I had long hair, scruff growing, and tattoos and Brian told me I was perfect so it was strange. But after learning about my character I understood what he meant. The set was really fun and light hearted to work on. There was nonstop joking and laughing which made it fun and it never really felt like working.

Jenn Lucas: Being casted in Shake It Out was definitely one of my most memorable experiences yet. When we first began filming, I wanted to make sure that I was very comfortable and familiar with the song. Since I'm a musician and an actress, my acting was completely derived from the lyrics and music of the Director's song choice. Filming most of my scenes in Santa Ana was a great idea for this music video because I definitely developed a strong sense of emotion throughout the rigorous shooting in the pouring rain. It is an understatement for me to express my respect towards the director, Brian Hart, for being able to so effortlessly direct me in a way as to where I felt comfortable enough to get into character.

I couldn't be more proud of his music video & I am beyond honored to say I was a part of it.

Don Hume:Working with Brian is always fun. When I first saw the story that would become "Shake It Out," I knew that Brian had brought me something special. Not only because the story was one of hope with a positive message and the potential for some powerful filmmaking, but also because I could tell that it was a story that had that special spark of life that only a director can bring to a film. Brian was passionate about making this music video the best that it could be, and demonstrated a real drive to make all the various pieces of the story, the characters, and the filmmaking come together in one grand symphony.

The first draft of the script was good, but it took us a few different sessions of talking through the story to finally land on the particular sets of circumstances with which the characters would struggle. After that we had to decide how best to portray both the various difficulties of those characters as well as how to personify the hopeful man with the box. At first we didn't agree, but talking through the options I think gave Brian the vision he needed to make the final decisions about those portrayals, and I think he did a great job.

Joe Newcombe:Working on shake it out has been a significant experience! I remember our first day on set I felt out of my comfort zone working in a harsher side of town. My role as being a messenger required a large amount of patience and hard work. When I look back though, that’s what makes my experience so meaningful. I was able to work with amazing people in a rough setting and push through my discomfort. I think it made me a little stronger as a person and I appreciated every moment of it! Brian has really done a great job finding his niche and putting everything together!

Mark Estefanos:Being cinematographer on Shake It Out was a very interesting experience. Brian and I work together constantly, so from the beginning I had a pretty good idea of what he had in mind. In the process of shooting, we never had a storyboard to visually replicate. Brian and I always manage to align our expectations very closely, so in terms of creative vision we always managed to have the same picture in our heads. I don't think there was ever a time where we would have needed storyboards to make that happen. Overall, it was an awesome experience and one I am very glad to say I went through.

The graphics on Shake It Out were on a different level than I had ever created. The balloons and the box were 3D modeled and rendered completely from scratch. Going into the project, I had only experimented with 3D graphics and had never tried to render anything photo realistically. There was an immense amount of learning as well as trial and error in the graphics process. Brian and I would meet every week for eight to ten hours at a time for about 8 months until we managed to perfect every aspect of the graphics. First we started with the modeling, which was far more convoluted than we had anticipated. We ended up going through five or six different balloon models until we had one we were satisfied with. Then it was a matter of perfecting the physics and renders. It took us quite a while to get a physics simulation that looked completely real. We had experimented with a variety of different techniques in tethering the balloons to the box; when we finally found one that worked, we ended up spending another chunk of our time perfecting the random motion on the box. Finally, the texturing and rendering was the most challenging part of the whole process. We had planned to render with the render engine native to Cinema 4D for weeks until we finally decided that it wasn't realistic enough for our demands. This meant completely starting from scratch on the textures, lighting, and render settings with an engine completely foreign to us. From then on it was an arduous process of trial and error, getting every last bit of realism in the renders. We would modify a few settings and then re-render, which would take half an hour or so for every frame, and repeat the process several times. Looking back, I think we were a little crazy to attempt something so ambitious with so little prior experience, but I think we managed to match our expectations, and I'm very happy to be able to say that.

Critic quotes:

Roger Corman: “Technically the most sophisticated. Very nice camera work in terms of set-up, movement, and color. Good use of locations and sets. Nice casting.”

Rika Nakanishi: “Beautifully shot and great ending!”

Lee Bratcher: “My absolute favorite film! This one was by far the most thoroughly professional filmmaking on every level. Story, acting, music, direction, and spectacular camera work. I think the director has the kind of chops to work in the industry. He really knows what he’s doing. Bravo!”

Tim Ryan of Rotten Tomatoes: “Technically, this is terrific – it’s shot, edited, and acted very well and it’s clear this filmmaker has a really good eye for striking images and a firm grasp on his or her craft. Impeccable craftsmanship.”